The British Parliamentary Trade Committee has warned the UK government not to “outweigh the benefits” of its post-Brexit trade agreements, citing shortcomings in its deal with Australia and asking lawmakers for more time to examine it.
Key points:
- The UK parliamentary committee said the free trade agreement provided for major concessions
- Farmers in the UK were concerned that the rise in almost all tariffs on agricultural imports would have occurred with insufficient protections.
- The agreement with Australia was the first free trade agreement signed since the UK’s formal exit from the EU.
The International Trade Committee said the deal with Australia resulted in major concessions without Britain reaping all possible benefits in return.
“The government has to match the public: this trade deal will not have the transformative effects that ministers would like to claim,” said committee chairman Angus MacNeil, a Scottish National Party (SNP) lawmaker.
“As the first all-new trade agreement since Brexit, this agreement sets a precedent for the future.
“It is vital that the government learns from this experience and negotiates harder next time to maximize profits and minimize losses for all economic sectors and parts of the UK.”
The committee said farmers were concerned that the rise in almost all tariffs on agricultural imports would come with insufficient protections for the sector, while the benefits for customers were unlikely to be noticeable.
The agreement with Australia was the first free trade agreement signed since the UK’s formal exit from the European Union in early 2021.
The UK said the deal is expected to unlock an annual bilateral trade worth £ 10.4 billion ($ 18.2 billion).
Commerce Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will appear before the committee to address questions about the deal on Wednesday, after withdrawing from an appearance last week due to a clash with a tariff announcement of steel.
The committee said it had to publish its assessment of the Australia trade agreement before hearing Ms Trevelyan due to the limited time for parliamentary scrutiny of the agreement.
While parliament cannot block ratification of the trade deal, it said it would call for a vote to delay its implementation if the government refuses to extend the scrutiny period.
MPs expressed “disappointment that tariff-free Australian food does not have to meet basic UK food production standards, for example, with regard to the use of pesticides”.
But they welcomed the assessment, albeit limited, of the environmental impact of the agreement and the “inclusion of provisions on forced labor, modern slavery and human trafficking.”
The government said the trade agreement did not compromise UK environmental or food safety standards.
The deal with Australia is seen as a low fruit in the midst of more difficult free trade talks with the United States.
The UK has also negotiated free trade agreements with New Zealand and is in negotiations for trade agreements with Canada, India and Mexico.
The Australian government has been contacted for comment.
ABC / children